YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD TERRORIST: On the night before I left the UK, I had dinner with an old friend in East London near Whitechapel, a heavily Muslim part of the British capital.

My friend said that Americans may not understand what it means to be personally threatened by terrorism. She said that she watches interviews with radical Muslims on the BBC news. They wrap their heads with black cloth to hide their identity and talk about waging jihad by any means necessary.

What makes these interviews different is that they are being conducted in London. Often, my friend recognizes the buildings in the background when the interviews are shot around Whitechapel.

As my friend correctly pointed out, Americans rarely or never turn on the evening news to find that their neighbors are hiding their faces and declaring jihad. That is a kind of immediate and personal threat we do not experience. It is the kind of threat we might experience if Timothy McVeigh had represented a real movement, rather than a handful of isolated extremists.

Of course, the absence of such a threat is not simply an accident. The United States has integrated its Arab and Muslim immigrants more successfully than most of Europe. But it would be wise not to ignore the threat that faces our most important ally and may soon face many others as well.

"But it would be wise not to ignore the threat that faces our most important ally and may soon face many others as well."

Are you serious? Half of America does truly understand the threat. Isn't that why so many Euro's hate us these days. Less British who have it shoved in their face, sadly don't. And what others are you referring to? The French and Germans. The French have their own little intifada and still won't get on board with the US. The German courts approve of a moslem husband beating his wife and they are no better.

Yes, we understand very well. Humans cling to their delicious tyrannies and exquisite nonsense until death stares them in the face. The hooded ones know fear and weakness like a dog, and it's all over you. What's to understand? This is not complicated.You do flatter yourselves.